Relationship between teaching efficacy,occupational stress and positive mental health among the rural primary and secondary school teachers

Objective The study attempts to explore relations between teaching efficacy,occupational stress and positive mental health in rural primary and secondary school teachers.Methods A total of 423 primary and secondary school teachers were investigated by Teaching Efficacy Scale,Scale of Primary and Secondary School Teacher's Occupational Stress and Mental Health Continuum Short in Adults.Results General teaching efficacy was negatively related to occupational stress(r=-0.418--0.327),occupational stress was negatively correlated with positive mental health(r=-0.247--0.099).General teaching efficacy had predictable effect on occupational stress,and occupational stress was predictor for positive mental health.Occupational stress fully mediated the association between general teaching efficacy and positive mental health(path coefficient were:-0.49,-0.15,P0.01),and personal teaching efficacy and occupational stress could directly affected positive mental health(the path coefficient were:0.25,-0.17,P0.01).Conclusion Positive mental health among rural teachers is severely influenced by teaching efficacy and occupational stress.General teaching efficacies affects positive mental health through the mediation of occupational stress.